Secretary of State reverses stance on endorsements

Bennett co-chairman for GOP candidate Romney's Arizona campaign

Constituents and out-of-state residents flooded the Arizona Secretary of State's Office with comments over the weekend after Ken Bennett waded into the "birther" controversy by asking Hawaiian officials to verify President Barack Obama's birth information.

Bennett's office, which oversees state elections, received more than 1,000 e-mails and phone calls with people both applauding and condemning the agency for its request.

Bennett, a Republican, called the reaction to his request overblown. And he defended his role as co-chairman for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Arizona campaign.

"This year ... I am, in my personal life, I am going to endorse Mitt Romney," Bennett said. "And in my professional life as secretary of state, we're going to do everything we can to run the election as fair as we can."

Bennett's involvement in Romney's campaign is a reversal of the stance he took while running for the office.

During a televised debate with his Democratic opponent in 2010, Bennett told the audience it was improper for elections officials to weigh in on partisan issues.

"I do not feel it's appropriate that I take a position on either the propositions that the voters will be voting on, or endorsing candidates in elections," Bennett said at the time.

"And Chris (Deschene) has done the same as far as not endorsing candidates, and I think we both feel that it's not appropriate for election officials to be taking positions on either the propositions or candidates when we're going to have to conduct the election."

Bennett said he changed his position because detractors would still criticize him based on endorsements he made years ago.

Political observers and a spokeswoman with the National Association of Secretaries of State said it is common for elected or appointed secretaries of state to participate in some kind of support role at the national or state level during election years.

However, critics blasted Bennett for his request, saying his actions amount to political pandering.

On Monday, the Obama campaign called on Romney to stand up to those in the Republican Party who give credence to the birther theory.

"With Mitt Romney's hand-picked co-chairman now promoting a conspiracy theory in blatant and brazen political fashion, why is Romney remaining silent? It's time for Mitt Romney to stop pandering to the far-right and denounce the extreme voices in his own party and within his own campaign," it said.

Romney's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Bennett reiterated that he is not a birther and that he is simply trying to verify information about Obama's birth at the request of a constituent.

He said he wanted to ensure Obama can appear on Arizona's Nov.6 ballot.

Meanwhile, a Hawaiian government official told The Arizona Republic on Monday that the state's Department of Health already has released extensive information about Obama's birth certificate, including a certified copy of his "long form" birth certificate.

A copy of that certificate is on the White House's website, and documentation affirming that Hawaii health officials have personally viewed the birth certificate is available online.

Joshua Wisch, special assistant to Hawaii's attorney general, said officials have been in contact with Bennett since March on the matter, but that Bennett has failed to provide adequate legal authority that he is eligible to receive verification of Obama's birth, in lieu of a birth certificate.

On May17, Bennett wrote to a Hawaii deputy attorney general, imploring officials to provide that verification, which is essentially an official assertion that the certificate is valid.

In the e-mail, Bennett said his office has "strictly and expressly" complied with all Hawaii statutes necessary to receive the information.

Bennett must show his request is for "a legitimate government purpose."

Hawaii officials also asked him to confirm that the request is a normal procedure to update all entries on a list, "rather than just targeting one name."

Bennett's office has received at least one request to look into Romney's background.